ES2930647T3 - Appliance for cooling or freezing - Google Patents

Abstract

An impact apparatus (24) associated with a conveyor (22) is proposed, the impact apparatus (24) comprising: (a) a casing (26) supporting an impactor (28); and (b) a coolant supply apparatus (30) enclosed within the casing (26), the coolant supply apparatus (30) comprising a gas circulation device (32) for directing a coolant to the impactor (28). ; the impactor (28) comprising: (i) an impact plate (34) comprising openings (35) for directing the impact jets (36) towards the conveyor (22); (ii) at least one non-circular cam (40) in mechanical communication with at least one conveyor (22) and rotatable when the conveyor (22) is in motion; and (iii) at least one connector (48) in mechanical communication with the at least one cam (40) and the impact plate (34), (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Appliance for cooling or freezing

Technical field of the present invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for at least partially removing snow and/or ice from an impact plate of an impact apparatus.

Technological background of the present invention

Commercial refrigeration appliances, such as commercial freezers, typically rely on the transfer of heat from an item, such as a food product, to be cooled or frozen through the use of a fan or blower. In many cases, the fan or blower is located close to a conveyor belt on which the article is transported. The item entering the freezer has a boundary layer of air surrounding it, isolating the item from the surrounding atmosphere.

Traditional freezers have employed blowers that generate streams of cooling vapor in many directions. However, a significant portion of the cooling vapor does not contact the article and, in many cases, does not contact the article in a direction transverse to the movement of the article, such as, for example, in a perpendicular direction.

Under these conditions, the cooling vapor that comes into contact with the article does not usually possess enough energy to substantially reduce the thickness of the boundary layer at or around the surface of the article. Therefore, it has been necessary to generate directed jets of cooling vapor to perturb the boundary layer and increase heat transfer.

Previous attempts to generate directed jets of cooling steam toward the article have included the use of a plurality of standpipes to provide unidirectional airflow toward the article, and the use of a plurality of nozzles along the path of air. an article for supplying discrete jets of unidirectional cooling air. However, the use of tubes or nozzles to direct air in a cooling or freezing device has had only limited success due to the accumulation of condensation in the form of snow and/or ice on the tubes or nozzles. This buildup quickly reduces the effectiveness of chilling or freezing devices.

Another earlier attempt involved heating or cooling an article on a moving substrate in which a continuous channel spanning at least a major portion of the width of the moving substrate converts multidirectional flow to unidirectional flow.

However, this attempt suffers from having such a high flow rate that the articles become trapped in the flow and therefore the controlled processing of the article through the device is made difficult.

Increasing the velocity of the cooling vapor stream (such as a cryogen) impinging on the item will increase the average heat transfer coefficient in a linear fashion. However, at a certain point, unless the impingement stream of the cooling vapor is carefully controlled, the velocity may also be sufficient to damage the article, or to carry the product off the conveyor and to undesirable locations elsewhere on the conveyor. freezer.

The total rates of heat transfer depend on the local heat transfer coefficients. That is, the amount of heat transferred from the items to the refrigerant depends on the rate of heat transfer locally between the refrigerant and the item. Local heat transfer rates can be changed by controlling the distance from the source of the impingement stream to the article, the velocity of the impingement stream, the turbulence in the impingement stream, and the efficiency of coolant flow for the impingement stream. impact.

Heat transfer and coolant flow can be adequately controlled using an impingement hood comprising an impingement plate with holes to direct the flow of coolant. However, snow and ice can accumulate on the impingement plate, thereby reducing the heat transfer efficiency provided by the impingement bell.

What is needed is a means by which snow and ice can be at least partially removed from an impact plate without the need to supply high pressure gas to a chill/freeze apparatus.

The relevant prior art can be found in the documents KR 100764072 B1 and US 2004/0099005 A1.

Description of the present invention: object, solution, advantages

From the disadvantages and deficiencies as described above, as well as taking into account the discussed prior art, an object of the present invention is to overcome the limitations and problems that the prior apparatus has experienced.

This object is achieved by an apparatus comprising the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments, appropriate improvements and other optional features of the present invention are set forth in the present description and described in the dependent claims.

The present invention basically provides an apparatus for cooling or freezing items or products according to claim 1.

The apparatus of the first embodiment may include that the cover comprises a top, opposed edges and opposed side walls that support the impactor.

The apparatus of any of the first or subsequent embodiments may further include that the strike plate comprises: a plurality of holes in the strike plate, through which the strike jets are directed; or open and elongated channels constructed and arranged between a plurality of rails that form the impact plate, through which the impact jets are directed.

The apparatus of any of the first or subsequent embodiments may further include that the gas circulation device may be selected from the group consisting of an impeller, a blower, and an axial flow fan. The apparatus of any of the first or subsequent embodiments may further include the impact apparatus being mounted in a food freezer.

The apparatus of any of the first or subsequent embodiments may further include that the at least one non-circular cam may be in mechanical communication with the at least one carrier via a stem, bushing housing, and sprocket.

The apparatus of any of the first or subsequent embodiments may further include that the at least one non-circular cam may comprise a plurality of lobes.

The apparatus of the second embodiment may further comprise a refrigerant supply in communication with the refrigerant supply apparatus.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the coolant supply may be in communication with at least one opening in the cover, said opening preferably comprising a conduit, in particular a pipe, passing through the opening in the cover.

The apparatus of any of the second or subsequent embodiments may further include that the shroud comprises a top, opposed edges, and opposed sidewalls that support the impactor.

The apparatus of any one of the second or subsequent embodiments may further include that the strike plate comprises: a plurality of holes in the strike plate, through which the strike jets are directed; or open and elongated channels constructed and arranged between a plurality of rails that form the impact plate, through which the impact jets are directed.

The apparatus of any one of the second or subsequent embodiments may further include that the gas circulation device may be selected from the group consisting of an impeller, a blower, and an axial flow fan. The apparatus of any one of the second or subsequent embodiments may further include the apparatus being mounted in a food freezer.

The apparatus of any one of the second or subsequent embodiments may further comprise a plurality of modules within the housing chamber, each of the plurality of modules including at least one impact apparatus associated with the conveyor.

The apparatus of any one of the second or subsequent embodiments may further include that the at least one non-circular cam may comprise a plurality of lobes.

In other words, the present embodiments are directed to apparatus for cooling and/or freezing items, such as food products, in which an item is conveyed on a conveyor, such as a belt or other moving substrate, to an accommodating chamber in in which the article becomes cold or frozen due to its contact with refrigerants in the gas, liquid or solid phase, such as cryogens.

In certain embodiments, the refrigerant or cryogen may comprise nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The term "cryogenic" is used in the present description similar to the term "refrigerant", and is not necessarily intended to be limited to materials having a purely cryogenic effect, although the meaning is intended to be included in the use of "cryogenic".

The term "coolant", as used herein, means any material that provides an effect to, or reduces a temperature of, an article.

Heat transfer cooling or freezing of articles generally results from the impingement of a cryogenic vapor or liquid stream on the article. Additional heat transfer can also be achieved by spraying or mixing liquid or solid cryogen into the cryogenic vapor impingement jet streams.

Heat transfer from an item, such as a food product, to a cryogen is maximized through the use of an impingement apparatus or "bell" through which solid or liquid gaseous cryogen (such as carbon dioxide) is sprayed. or nitrogen) circulated into the article while using an impactor, such as an impact plate, to create a stream of cryogen.

The design of the device increases the heat transferred from the article to the cryogen. Cryogen, eg, dry dry ice or liquid nitrogen, is introduced into a flow of impact gas, where heat transfer occurs with respect to the gas and the article to cool the article during impact.

Use of the impact bell increases the amount of heat transferred from an article to the cryogen, facilitating and generating impact jets that can pass through the article's thermal boundary layer, but cannot damage the article.

The force of the impact jets that come into contact with the boundary layer compromises the structural integrity of said layer in order to penetrate it.

An impactor is provided comprising an impact plate, at least one non-circular cam in mechanical communication with a carrier and rotatable when the carrier is in motion, and at least one connector in mechanical communication with the at least one cam and the impact plate. impact, the connector being movable during the rotation of the at least one cam to raise and lower the impact plate.

By "in mechanical communication" it is meant that two components are in direct or indirect contact (eg, continuous or intermittent contact) with each other such that motive force can be transferred from one component to another. For example, the connector may be fixedly attached to the strike plate and intermittently contact the at least one cam such that the connector raises and lowers, for example, by gravity, the strike plate as it moves. rotate the at least one cam.

Alternatively, the connector may be fixedly engaged with the at least one cam and intermittently contact the striker plate as the at least one cam rotates. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the connector may be fixedly coupled to both the at least one cam and the strike plate.

The action of raising and lowering the strike plate creates a hammer effect, which vibrates the strike plate to break up accumulated snow and ice, which is then free to fall through the strike plate, through the gravity and/or differential pressure between opposite sides of the impact plate, at least partially removing snow and ice from the impact plate.

In certain embodiments, the strike plate can be raised up to approximately 5 cm (2" or two inches) through the action of the at least one cam and connector.

Parts or the entirety of the impact apparatus may be provided as a retrofit design, which may be adapted to provide a means of mechanical vibration for the impact plate.

In certain embodiments, for example, a retrofit package that includes a mechanical vibrating impact system as provided herein can be used to transform a tunnel freezer using an impactor with a conventional vibrator. These embodiments eliminate the need to supply high pressure gas to said freezer tunnel.

In certain embodiments, the at least one non-circular cam may be of various non-circular designs, and each separate cam within the apparatus may be of the same or different designs. This non-circular design allows the connector to raise and lower the strike plate.

A non-circular design will result in the connector raising and lowering the strike plate one or a plurality of times during a single rotation of the cam. In certain embodiments, the at least one non-circular cam may comprise a plurality of lobes.

The at least one cam can be in mechanical communication through any component or components that allow the transfer of the linear movement of the conveyor to the rotary movement of the at least one cam. For example, a sprocket may be in contact with the conveyor so that the sprocket rotates when the conveyor passes over the sprocket.

A stem passes through the sprocket and a bushing housing and connects to the cam, which rotates with the sprocket. Gears can be added to this set so that the cam rotates faster or slower than the sprocket.

In certain embodiments, the connector may be directly or indirectly connected to one or both of the cam and the impact plate, such that the impact apparatus coacts with the carrier.

In certain embodiments, the connector is fixedly coupled to one or both of the cam and the strike plate. In certain embodiments, the connector comprises a riser plate coupled to the striker plate, and the riser plate bears on the cam, such that the riser plate is raised and lowered by rotation of the cam.

In certain embodiments, the shroud may comprise a top, opposing edges, and opposing sidewalls that support the impactor.

In certain embodiments, the strike plate may comprise: a plurality of holes in the strike plate, through which the strike jets are directed; or open and elongated channels constructed and arranged between a plurality of rails that form the impact plate, through which the impact jets are directed. In certain embodiments, the gas circulation device may be selected from the group consisting of an impeller, a blower, and an axial flow fan.

In certain embodiments, the impact apparatus may be mounted in a food freezer.

In certain embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a refrigerant supply in communication with the refrigerant supply apparatus. In this embodiment, what is meant by "in communication" is that a refrigerant can be transported from the refrigerant supply to the refrigerant supply apparatus, through direct or indirect connections between the refrigerant supply and the refrigerant supply apparatus. . Such connections may comprise conduits or other known means by which two components may be connected to deliver a refrigerant from one component to another.

In certain embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a plurality of modules within the housing chamber, each of the plurality of modules including at least one impact apparatus associated with the conveyor.

Processes and/or methods for at least partially removing snow and ice from an impact plate using the impact apparatus described herein are also provided. In addition, processes and/or methods of cooling or freezing articles using the apparatus described in the present description are provided.

Brief description of the drawings

For a more complete understanding of the descriptions of the present embodiment, and as already discussed above, there are various options for embodying, as well as improving, the teaching of the present invention to advantage. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to particular and preferred embodiments by way of non-limiting example and to the figures of the attached drawings taken together with the following description of illustrative embodiments, of which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a first embodiment of a cam for use in an apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of a cam for use in an apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a front view of a third embodiment of a cam for use in an apparatus according to the present invention; Y

Fig.5 is a front view of a fourth embodiment of a cam for use in an apparatus according to the present invention. In the figures of the accompanying drawings, similar equipment is indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the description from Fig. 1 to Fig. 5.

Detailed description of the drawings;

best mode for carrying out the present invention

Before explaining the embodiments of the invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as the present invention is capable of other embodiments and of put into practice or carried out in various ways. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation.

In the above and following description, terms such as horizontal, upright, vertical, up, down, under and the like are used solely for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention and should not be construed as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not intended to be to scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, an illustrative apparatus 10 is shown comprising a housing 12 with a floor 14, a roof 16 and side walls 18 (only two side walls are shown due to perspective view; side walls may also be present in the front and/or rear of the view shown in Fig. 1). Cover 12 defines a chamber 20 therein. At least one conveyor 22 extends in the chamber 20 between the ceiling 16 and the floor 14. At least one impact apparatus 24 is arranged above the conveyor 22 within the chamber 20. The impact apparatus 24 comprises a cover 26 or subhousing that supports an impactor 28 at the lower edges 27 or lips of the cover 26.

A refrigerant supply apparatus 30 is enclosed in the cover 26, and comprises a gas circulation device 32. Impactor 28 comprises an impact plate 34 having a plurality of openings 35 for directing impact jets 36 toward items 38 conveyed on conveyor 22. Conveyor 22 conveys products 38 from an inlet to an outlet of chamber 20. .

In certain embodiments, the openings 35 may comprise holes in the strike plate 34 and/or elongated open channels constructed and disposed between a plurality of rails that form the strike plate 34. The at least one non-circular cam 40 (also referred to herein as "the cam 40") is in mechanical communication with the at least one conveyor 22 through a stem 42, a bushing housing 44 and a sprocket 46, so as to so that the cam 40 rotates when the conveyor 22 is in motion. (In the view shown in Fig. 1, the direction of movement of the conveyor 22 is from front to back with respect to the view).

At least one connector 48 is in mechanical communication with cam 40 and striker plate 34 such that, as cam 40 rotates, connector 48 raises and lowers striker plate 34. The lowering of the impact plate 34 brings the impact plate 34 into contact with the lower edges 27 to thereby create an impact force to dislodge any accumulated snow and ice from the impact plate 34.

The apparatus 10 may further include a refrigerant supply 50 in communication with at least one opening 51 in the cover 26, optionally wherein the opening 51 comprises a conduit 53, such as a pipe, passing through the opening 51 in the cover. deck 26.

In an alternative/additional embodiment (not shown), the coolant supply may provide coolant between impact plate 34 and conveyor 22, just above item(s) 38.

Shroud 26 may comprise a top 52, opposite edges 54, 56, and opposite side walls 58, 60, with bottom edges 27 supporting impactor 28.

The Figs. 2 to 5 depict illustrative designs of the cam 40 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 5, each of the at least one cam 40 may independently comprise

- a lobe 40a (see the first cam embodiment in Fig. 2),

- two lobes 40b (see the second cam embodiment in Fig. 3),

- three lobes 40c (see the third cam embodiment in Fig. 4), or

- six lobes 40d (see the fourth cam embodiment in Fig. 5),

respectively.

In certain embodiments, each of the cams 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d may independently comprise any desired number of lobes to achieve any required frequency and/or amplitude of a particular application. The cams shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 5 are merely illustrative embodiments of particular cam designs that can be used with the apparatus described herein. Although it may be desirable that all of the at least one cam used in a particular application have the same design, it may also be desirable that each of the at least one cam have different designs in other applications, depending on the desired result.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are illustrative only, and variations and modifications may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as claimed herein.

List of reference numbers

10 appliance

12 accommodation

14 floor

16 ceiling

18 side wall

20 camera

22 protractor

24 impact apparatus

26 deck or subhousing

27 bottom edge or lip of cover or subhousing 26

28 impactor

30 coolant supply apparatus

32 gas circulation device

34 strike plate

35 plate opening 34 impact

36 impact jet

38 article or product transported on the conveyor 22

40 cam, in particular the non-circular cam

40a cam lobe 40 (first embodiment; (see Fig. 2)

40b cam lobe 40 (second embodiment; (see Fig. 3)

40c cam lobe 40 (third embodiment; (see Fig. 4)

40d cam lobe 40 (fourth embodiment; (see Fig. 5)

42 stem

44 bushing housing

46 sprocket

48 connector

50 coolant supply

51 opening in cover or subhousing 26

52 top of cover or subhousing 26

53 conduits, in particular piping

54 edge of cover or subhousing 26

56 opposite edge of cover or subhousing 26

58 side wall of cover or subhousing 26

60 opposite side wall of cover or subhousing 26

Claims (13)

Yo. An apparatus (10) for cooling or freezing items or products (38) comprising: - a housing (12) comprising a roof (16), a floor (14) and side walls (18) defining a chamber (20) within the housing (12); - at least one conveyor (22) extending in the chamber (20) between the ceiling (16) and the floor (14); and - at least one impact apparatus (24) arranged in the chamber (20) and above the conveyor (22), said impact apparatus (24) associated with the conveyor (22) and comprising: (a) a cover (26) supporting an impactor (28), wherein the impactor (28) is supported in the cover (26) on the bottom edges or lips (27) of the cover (26); Y (b) a coolant supply apparatus (30) enclosed within the casing (26), the coolant supply apparatus (30) comprising a gas circulation device (32) for directing a coolant to the impactor (28); comprising the impactor (28): (i) an impact plate (34) comprising openings (35) for directing impact jets (36) towards the conveyor (22); (ii) at least one non-circular cam (40); Y (iii) at least one connector (48) in mechanical communication with the at least one cam (40) and the impact plate (34), the connector (48) being movable during rotation of the at least one cam (40) to raising and lowering the impact plate (34), wherein the at least one non-circular cam (40) is in mechanical communication with the at least one carrier (22) and is rotatable when the carrier (22) is in motion. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a refrigerant supply (50) in communication with the refrigerant supply apparatus (30). The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerant supply (50) is in communication with at least one opening (51) in the cover (26). The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the opening (51) comprises a conduit (53) passing through the opening (51) in the cover (26). The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the conduit (53) is a pipe. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the apparatus (10), and in particular the impact apparatus (24), is mounted in a food freezer. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a plurality of modules within the chamber (20) of the housing (12), each of the plurality of modules including at least one apparatus (24) impact associated with the conveyor (22). The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cover (26) comprises a top (52), opposite edges (54, 56) and opposite side walls (58, 60) supporting the impactor. (28). The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the openings (35) comprise holes in the impact plate (34), through which the impact jets (36) are directed. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the openings (35) comprise elongated, open channels constructed and arranged between a plurality of rails forming the impact plate (34), through which the impact jets (36) are directed. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the gas circulation device (32) is selected from the group consisting of an impeller, a blower and an axial flow fan. The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one non-circular cam (40) is in mechanical communication with the at least one carrier (22) via a stem (42), a bushing housing (44) and a toothed wheel (46). The apparatus according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one non-circular cam (40) comprises a plurality of lobes (40a; 40b; 40c; 40d).